Jason Liu stood on the deck of the Easter I, looking down at Euron Greyjoy with cold indifference. The "Crow's Eye" was a pathetic sight—his face was a mask of blood and resentment, and his right leg was shattered from a bullet. Despite the pain, Euron roared with a savage fury.
"Euron Greyjoy," Jason's voice carried over the hum of the ship's engines. "You served the false king Joffrey and led your fleet to plunder Deepwood Motte and the innocent villages of the North. For treason and piracy, I hereby strip you of your titles. From this day forward, House Greyjoy shall no longer rule the Iron Islands".
"No!" Euron howled, struggling against the iron grip of the soldiers. "The Greyjoys have ruled the salt and rock for thousands of years! You have no right!".
"I am the King of Westeros," Jason replied, his disgust evident. "My decree is the law of the Seven Kingdoms. Take him away. Imprison him until King's Landing falls, then he shall face a true trial".
As the soldiers dragged the cursing pirate away, a wave of relief washed over the Northern and Riverland nobles on deck. Many of them had watched their homes burn at the hands of the Ironborn; seeing their king humbled was a long-awaited justice. Even the modern advisory group nodded in approval; they had no room for a culture of looting in their plans for a new, economically stable Westeros.
With the Iron Fleet at the bottom of the sea, Jason turned his attention to the thousands of wooden ships hovering on the horizon—the fleet of Daenerys Targaryen.
"Do you think she'll surrender?" Jason asked, watching a motorboat speed toward the Targaryen flagship. "She just watched us erase a hundred ships in minutes".
Professor Wang sighed, looking at the drone feed of the three dragons circling above. "Unlikely. She has over 100,000 troops and three dragons. She's spent years fighting to restore her family's glory. She won't kneel just because she's seen our steel".
General agreed, though he noted the practical value of her army. "We need labor for the reconstruction of Westeros. It would be a waste to sink 100,000 able-bodied workers to the seabed".
"Then we show her the crushing reality of our power," Jason decided. "We talk terms first".
Kent, a knight in Jason's service, successfully boarded Daenerys's ship alongside a small party. As he stepped onto the deck, he was momentarily struck by the beauty of the "White Queen," but he quickly regained his composure and bowed.
"Your Majesty Daenerys, I am Sir Kent," he announced. "I come by the order of King Jason to invite you to a meeting aboard the Easter I".
Daenerys stood tall, her silver-gold hair whipping in the wind. Her voice was like ice. "This 'Jason' you serve is arrogant to call himself a king. The Targaryens are the only rightful rulers of this land".
Kent did not flinch, even as the Unsullied and Dothraki tightened their grip on their weapons. "Your father, the Mad King, murdered the Warden of the North and his heir. He lost the right to rule when the kingdoms rose against him. King Jason, however, has avenged the Starks, defeated Joffrey's armies, and destroyed the White Walkers to protect the living. By every law of gods and men, he is the legitimate monarch".
"Nonsense!" Barristan Selmy roared, his face flushed with anger. "Force of arms does not make a king. Her Majesty is the true heir!".
Varys, ever the diplomat, sensed the rising temperature. He looked out at the ten frigates fanned out in a deadly arc around their fleet. "Sir Kent," the spider said softly, "what is the purpose of this invitation?".
"To discuss the fall of King's Landing and the future of this continent," Kent replied firmly.
Daenerys looked at the mountain of steel that was the Easter I. She was no fool; stepping onto that ship meant placing her life in Jason's hands. "If your king is sincere, let him come to my ship and speak to me in person," she countered.
The lines were drawn. Daenerys had already marked Jason as an enemy in her heart, even as the shadow of his steel fleet loomed over her world.